The 195-pound dumbbells felt heavier to Jeromey Clary at about this time last year.

He could lift them before the lockout.

For the first time since, he can lift them again.

The Chargers right tackle, whom his position coach says isn't appreciated enough by the outside, is back to pre-lockout strength. It's something Clary expects to build upon when veterans report to training camp next Wednesday.

This offseason, Clary had a different routine.

He usually works out at the team facility when given access to it. As a change-of-pace, he and center Nick Hardwick trained primarily at San Diego State before the Chargers' workout program began in April.

Clary has also incorporated more protein into a concentrated regimen.

“I really wanted to focus on my upper body,” Clary said following minicamp last month. “I really feel that's where a lot of football strength comes from. Obviously, you have to have legs. You'd be an idiot to not try to squat and all that stuff. But I really tried to focus in getting strong in my back and chest because all we're doing is punching.

“The main thing to work on once we get pads on is good leverage. I have a tendency to get tired and play high. My main focus in camp is, when I'm tired, to play low and play with good knee bend and not be bending by the waist.”

Hal Hunter, the team's offensive coordinator and line coach, gives Clary credit for his toughness, work ethic and improved strength.

And credit, he says, is something not given to Clary often enough.

Hunter gets it. Clary is an offensive lineman. It comes with the job.

But even for a lineman, one who hasn't missed a snap — a streak of 2,216 plays — the past two seasons, Hunter said fans often miss the mark.

“They've got to be hard on somebody,” Hunter said last month. “They're not going to be hard on Kris Dielman, they're not going to be hard on Marcus McNeill, so they always pick on Jeromey Clary. Jeromey Clary plays 70 snaps, and out of those 70 snaps, 66 of them are great plays, and he has four bad plays, and that's all anybody remembers.

“They don't remember all the good plays that he had. They remember pressure that he gave up, or maybe he missed a block — that's all that comes to mind. They give him no credit.”

The fast-talking Hunter used a couple general examples.

If a quarterback hits a receiver with a pass, people usually talk about the throw or the catch — not the protection from Clary and his teammates. Or if a running back rushes for 150 yards, he had a great day. When he rushes for 60, the offensive line stunk.

It all comes back to mental and physical toughness.

Hunter said Clary, a Nebraska native, is "Texas tough," having played through "more injuries and more issues than anybody ever realizes."

"These guys are used to it," Hunter said. "Clary is very resilient. All I can say is Clary was good enough for us to win in every single game he played. Every single game he played, all 16 regular-season games, he gave a winning performance.